Nottingham Trent University Dryden Street Garden

A Grade II listed building, 50 Shakespeare Street was originally built in 1887, and was formerly Nottingham’s registry office. It is now the base of the University Executive Team helping to form a gateway to ‘University Quarter’ within the city centre.

The area was a barren cut-through with 7 overgrown London plane trees which were damaging foundations and had to come down.

A concept was devised which used honey coloured stone as its core material to reflect the gothic Arkwright building opposite, a tree-lined pathway laid to yorkstone setts and at its backbone, a sparking rill to emulate the River Trent through snaking through the county. With biodiversity planting in mind, a mix of indigenous planting was included in the all year round scheme which would provide a haven for wildlife and passers-by alike from a bustling environment.

As part of the Greening the City Programme, the garden won a Gold Award at the internationally acclaimed Green Apple Awards